Wasp Reporting Tool

A seasonal microsite built for Cape Town Invasives to speed up the reporting of European and German wasps.

The teams operate weekdays from:

09:00 to 16:00

Invasive Species

The German Wasp

The German wasp, first discovered in Kirstenbosch in 1975, is not as common in the Cape Metro area as the European paper wasp. It is, however, much more aggressive. These wasps passionately defend their nests and have even caused human deaths in the past (when people have had severe allergic reactions). They also have other impacts such as damage to fruit crops and damage to ecosystems when indigenous fauna are preyed upon.

They usually build their nests underground, using a hole for an entrance, but do sometimes build their nests above ground in ball shaped, closed, papery nests. If you spot these wasps do not attempt to control them yourself. They are capable of stinging right through a normal bee suit and will swarm and attack if the nests is disturbed. One needs a specialised suit with thicker layering to sufficiently protect against these Invasive wasps.